Improvement in centrifugal machines



2 Shegts-Sheet 1, S. S. HEPWORTH. GENTRLE'UGAL MACHINE.

No. 82.314. Pat-entedSept.' 22, 1868.

im a@ o@ Winesses:

I by the cup and roller. but with a noiseless and elastic action, whichis @eine gisten gamut @Hirn LettersPatent No. 82,314, dated September22, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENTRIIUGAL MACHINES,

@te ttrhnle referat tu in time4 sftets atent mit makina gaat nf itssame.

To ALL wnoM 1T MAY coNcEnN:

Be it known thatI, S. S. HEPWORTH, ofBost'on, in the county of Suiolk,and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inCentrifugal Machines; .and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention refers to a class of machines used in the refining ofsugar, by which the molasses is separated from the sugar by centrifugalaction.

Heretoi'ore the principal dimculty experienced in the employment ofcentrifugal machines was, that the weight of the revolving parts,together with the contents, when revolving with great velocity, caused agyratory vibration, which necessitates the use of the machine in thelower part of the building, where a firm and'expensive foundation mustbe formed, to prevent the detrimental vibration of the building.

The wear of "such machines was rapid, occasioning frequent repairs.

This tendency to gyration or irregular action is due to theimpossibility of distributingthe crude sugar uniformly around thecentral axis of the machine, and all attempts at imprevement heretdforemade were ineffective, as tho curb or hoop exterior to the sugar-basketwas fixed, which necessitated the restriction, as much as possible, ofthe shaft'oi' the machinefrom vibration.

In my improved machine, I permitthis gyration, and provide a device bywhich itshall be uninjurious, and suspend the curb so that it also shallpartake equally of the gyratory mo'tion, and thereby remain concentricwith the shaft and the sugar-basket. u v

To accomplish these objects, I employ a sugar-basket, R, made and axedto the shaft B, in the usual manner.

A is the curb, exterior to the basket, and provided with an annulartrough, A', to receive the molasses or sirup, and discharge it at U intothe funnel T, as previously done. But, instead of attempting to connethe shaft B to perfect axial rotation, I provide a step-bearing for itsreduced end, 1', in a metallic cross-bar, f, as shown. y Y

vThis bar is aixed securely to an concentric. v

Tapped into or otherwise axed to the said cross-bar, is a gudgeon, b,which works loosely within an elastic roller, c, of rubber, or othersuitable material, and both the roller and gudg'eon are allowed spacefor gyration within a'stout iron cup, J', so that when the shaftrevolves, its tendency to gyrate also will be permitted d across thebottom of the curb A, so that the curb and basket shall be building. Y

The cup .I forms part of the pedestal I, which is rmly-aiiixed to thebed-plateL, but this cup does not 'sustain any portion of the weightofthe parts above, as will now be shown.

The shaft B is suspended within a sleeve, a, by means of its head, g,the oil-cup j, which latter, ns shown.

This swelled sectionits a corresponding surface, l', of the next sleevel, as shown, whereby the weight o'f the shaft, and sugar-basket, and thecontents of the latter, are supported-by the sleeve Z.

together with the bearing-ring 1.' and swelled section a', forms part of-the said sleeve,

perfectly harmless to the machine or the resting ou a. bearing-ring, t','within The sleeve Z is held by a large screw-bolt, d, which screws intothe cap e of the sleeve l, as shown, the said screw-bolt d being upheldby a cam-link, h, which latter is pivoted to the screw-bolt, as shown,-

A and rests upon washers, c, in a. recess in the top of exteriorsleevem,

the latter sleeve being a part of the frame K, as shown. which, in turn,y, sustainsthe weight of the revolving parts .on the bearing- Thus, thesleeve m sustains the screw-bolt, and the screw-bolt sustains the secondsleeve l, sustains, at a', the inner sleeve a, which latter, lastl ringz'.

The cnrbA is suspended directly from the inner sleeve a b lugs on thecast part ,of the cu'rb A, as shown. i

y arms G and rods E, which pass down through The holes in the sleeves Zandm are only suciently large to permit the vibratie-n' or gyration ofthe arms G, caused by the gyration of the shaft B: y

Now, when the machine is in motion, the curb A, suspended as shown, willalways be concentric withvthe shaft B and sugar-basket, for theshaftsupporting the latter has its lower bearing inthe cross-barfailixed to the curb, as aforesaid.

a The bottom, S, of the basket lis held on the shaft by a nut, n, on thereduced endo-f the shaft B, which reduced end rests, as shown, in astep-bearing in the bar f.

- This .construction is better shown in the enlarged detail view atFigure 4.

The pulley C is keyed in the shaft B, and a belt from the pulley D tothe pulley C drives the shaft B and its basket R.'

l When it is desired tolstop the machine, the lever P is moved so as tobring the cam-link vertical, when 'theshaft will be elevated a shortdistance, which will bring the hemispherical cavity, c, of the pulley Cin contact with the corresponding hemispherical surface .m of the sleevefm, whereby a braking-effect will result from the friction of the twoparts, and the revolution of the shaft be retarded, and iinallylstopped.

The rod F,^which connects the lever with the cam-link 7L, also connectswith the cam-link L, which is so ,shaped as to its lower part, whichrests on washers around the screw-bolt supporting the shaft P, that whenthe -said cam-link Zz' is brought forward by the lever P and rod F, -theshaftv will belowered, and the base of the friction-cone M brought incontact with the Afriction-cup N, as shown, which'will produce abraking-edect.

The shaft P and the parts Q Q Q B. Z O' X Y W, and the arrangementthereof, forming no part of the inventionclaimed, will net be furtherdwelt upon, the drawing exhibiting their construction and operationsucientlv. l

The gudgeon b is separate and distinct from the reduced end of the shaftB, and, therefore, does not revolve with That expedient has beenattempted, in connection with a roller, many years ago, but therevolution of the gndgeon caused the roller to bound from side to sidewithin its bearings, and the device was abandoned at once, and nevercame into practical use. n

In practice, the gudgeon b is cast on the-cross-bar j', in preference tobeing tapped into the said bar, as shown in the drawings, but inwhatever manner it may be affixed or formed, its rigid character is whatconduces, in connection with the roller and cup, to the perfect workingof the machine.

The hemispherical form of the lower part, m', of the sleeve m, and thecorresponding form of the cavity of theA pulley C, permit the gyrationof theshaft without jar or hindrance when the brake is applied, Vforthese surfaces are concentric, and their radii terminato'at the centreof the vibration of the shaft B, which is at some point above thefriction-surfaces. This, -of course, will be determined by the builderto suit the other dimensions.

The gyratory vibration of the shaft is permitted by the loose characterof the bearing, resulting from the employment of a head, g, resting upona bearing-ring, as shown, and the spherical tting of the sleeves a andZ, as shown at a' Z', will accord the requisite amount of play at thelower end of the shaft, without otherwise providing therefor.

The lower end of the link h is composed of a plane surface, as shown,and a circular profile', k.

This latter profile is what sustains the weight of the shaft P', andkeeps the friction-cones still from contact when the plane Zz" of thecam-link his brought to sustain the shaft B, when the machine is stoppedto remove the drained sugar from the basket.

This device, therefore, enables vthe basket to be turned easily by handin so removing the sugar, as the surfaces c and m are then notl incontact, nor are the friction-cones, as whenl the shaft B is supportedby the plane of the cam-link h, which is employed when the shaft B isrotating.

This invention supplies a want long felt in the employment ofcentrifugal machines for refining sugar,.and greatly conduces to theeconomical working of such machines.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thesuspension of the shaft-B and curb A, of a centrifugal machine, from asleeve, a, or other equivalent device, substantially as shown anddescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

2. Supporting the sleeve a bythe spherical surfaces a and Z, or surfacesapproximating to a spherical surface, for the purpose of supporting andpermitting the vibration or gyration' of the basket-shaft B of acentrifugal machine, all as set forth.

3. Supporting .the sleeve Z, or its eq and described, when these saidparts con as set forth.

4. The bolt d and cam-lin stantially as shown and describ Bof acentrifugal machine. an m', all as set forth.

5. Employing the pul and stopping the revolution of the bas Making thesurfaces c and m sp B, all substantially as shown and described.

7. Two or more rods, E, or the equival with arms Gr and curbA, for thepurpose of supper concentricity with the shaft B, all as set forth.

8. The gudgeon b, axed rigidly to the cross-bar f,

uivalent, by a bolt, d, or the equivalent thereof, substantially asshown duce to the support of the basket-shaft B'of a centrifugalmachine, all

k h, or their equivalent, in combination with the sleeve Z and sleeve m,all subed, and for the purpose of indirectly supporting the weight ofthe basket-shaft' d elevating ,the said shaft to produce the contact ofthe breaking surfaces c and ley C and lower end of the sleeve m asfriction-surfaces, for the purpose of retarding liet-shaft B of acentrifugal machine, all as setforth.

herical, for the purpose of permitting the gyration of the basket-shaftent thereof, substantially as shown and described,in combination tingthe curb A, and thereby enabling it to maintain its or other equivalentbottom part of the curb A, substantially as shown anddesribed, incombination with a roller, r, and cup J, or its equivalent, as and forthe purpose set forth.

9. Theemployrnent of an elastic roller, 1*, substantiollyras shown anddescribed, in combination with the fixed gudgeon Z1, or other equivalentdevice, and cup J,lorrit,s equivalent, al1 as and for the purpose setforth.

The above speoification of my invention signed by me, this tbirty-rt dayof December, 1867. v yS. S. HEPWORTH.

Witnesses:

C. B. TnoMPsoN, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

